one question though... maybe related to our earlier conversation and attacking the attack, but... your reaction to the initial touch is in what appears to be a forward bow stance... can't see the feets, but your hips are square. where i am going with this is, that stance does nothing to get your opponent off your center. this could result in a struggle between his oncoming force and you bracing in.

I'd use the neutral bow to take the opponent off my center, therefore no longer a threat to my stability, while pinning and attacking the straight elbow.

one question though... maybe related to our earlier conversation and attacking the attack, but... your reaction to the initial touch is in what appears to be a forward bow stance... can't see the feets, but your hips are square. where i am going with this is, that stance does nothing to get your opponent off your center. this could result in a struggle between his oncoming force and you bracing in.

I'd use the neutral bow to take the opponent off my center, therefore no longer a threat to my stability, while pinning and attacking the straight elbow.

anyway, thanks for putting it out there

pete.

and wondering why what looks like (on video) dropping back into a right forward bow doesn't catalyze Alternating Mace?

Can you pull the camera back a bit and let your feet share some of the Ham? I'm a ham to, no disrespect intended. Seriously, the angle is not to my kenpogeek liking.
Clark

one question though... maybe related to our earlier conversation and attacking the attack, but... your reaction to the initial touch is in what appears to be a forward bow stance... can't see the feets, but your hips are square. where i am going with this is, that stance does nothing to get your opponent off your center. this could result in a struggle between his oncoming force and you bracing in.

I'd use the neutral bow to take the opponent off my center, therefore no longer a threat to my stability, while pinning and attacking the straight elbow.

anyway, thanks for putting it out there

pete.

My one question would be could we see the tech from the floor up, as in feet moving, seeing them working at the same time, as the hands, arms and elbow? Some mention it is the stance you are working out of, and the movement of the lower quad in time with the upper, so can we see the tootsies?

Craig Tavis asked for me to tape another snapping twig video without going super fast. So, I slowed it down and emphasized a couple other things on this round.

Michael Miller, CKF

I watched the vids below and this one, nice work gents.

I like to see a causative deliberation in the delivery, that is to say the careful movement or thought that is acting as a cause (the method behind the madness).

Why snap the twig? Because the attackers intention is clearly to main or disable, therefore it can be safe to say he has weight and forward momentum behind the push. So the first move is the reactive step caused by the forward push (I practice this with a push centre mass or closer to, as it is difficult and unrealistic to apply if it is a driving striking push to the right shoulder, the body naturally wants to spin clockwise and therefore reverses the hand positions), in an attempt to spontaneously and naturally stabilize the base, and should be mentally analyzed and viewed as such.

By proportionately stepping back with the left foot into a correct depth according to knee to centre of heel alignment (or your natural gait), you have created a stable base or a causative platform from which to launch an point of origin attack to the attack (And lets not forget the tech is only as powerful as the platform that supports it), you have also naturally created an angle of disturbance.

The force of the push is directed away toward your seven-eight o'clock allowing you in the second sequential movement to borrow that force as you pin (or hook) and strike, in a push pull manner. The rotational torque of your shoulders not only increases the power of the heel palm strike, it also momentarily cancels his height width and depth in a shock to stop action.

I place the attacker a lot closer to my mass, this not only allows me to economize my motion and generate much more controlled power, but more importantly gives me greater leverage supported by a maintained, solid, correctly aligned platform. The rest is icing on the cake, straight lines and SMALL circles, circle the right hand (pulled from the elbow) and frictionally pull the throat into the left straight line chop, continuing the right elbow orbit into the jaw.

I also like to slightly lift my right foot and attack the attackers left knee/shin bone with me right knee/shin as I drop the elbow, very eay to do the damage as he is now unwillingly attached to me in a closer proximity.

Craig Tavis asked for me to tape another snapping twig video without going super fast. So, I slowed it down and emphasized a couple other things on this round.

Michael Miller, CKF

. . .what you guys are talking about. I did not drop back into a forward bow, but probably a modified forward bow as I still had hip rotation for the handsword. I guess because I was "thinking" too much and not just doing I retarded my motion a little. I was asked to slow down and do things a little differently and so I did.

The camera angle was because I think videos look much better that way, but I can understand what you guys are saying. You want to see the lower quadrant in relation to the upper. At some point I will do that.

one question though... maybe related to our earlier conversation and attacking the attack, but... your reaction to the initial touch is in what appears to be a forward bow stance... can't see the feets, but your hips are square. where i am going with this is, that stance does nothing to get your opponent off your center. this could result in a struggle between his oncoming force and you bracing in.

I'd use the neutral bow to take the opponent off my center, therefore no longer a threat to my stability, while pinning and attacking the straight elbow.

anyway, thanks for putting it out there

pete.

"I'd use the neutral bow to take the opponent off my center, therefore no longer a threat to my stability, while pinning and attacking the straight elbow."

I do realize that this technique ideally is done while stepping back in a neutral bow with the strike to the elbow, then a forward bow (I prefer more of a high close kneel--boxing mechanics) and back to neutral bow. I do step back that way--contrary to what you saw in the video, which was me fusing two things into one.

We could argue this all day outside of the ideal. First of all, this techinque is against a one handed push action to the left lapel area, not the centerline. It would work as a direct push to the center as well, however.

You state that by stepping back the way I did it would not put him off my centerline. Here's the thing, stepping back the way I did keeps my mass in the direction that it will be going--forward as I stay engaged so that he can't barrel through me (or at least will have a difficult time). Keep in mind we are technically breaking or hyperextending the arm. I know people argue that it probably won't break, but even if it doesn't it will screw with his head for that split second we need to strike his throat. Remember it is called snapping twig (indicating a break) not slapping twig. We need to understand the code words that represent the language of Kenpo.

If I am breaking or hyperextending his arm I don't think he will be thinking about continuing to keep coming in. It's possible, but unlikely. Again, I don't care if he does because it would add borrowed force for the handsword to the throat. So stepping the way I did is not a problem in my view.

Think about this: A neutral bow means neutrality. Neutrality means balance. Constantly being in a state of balance is not good in combat. My mass needs to be engaged properly with an erect carriage and moving straight through his mass. That will not happen in a state of balance. So if I am in a neutral bow, which means 50/50 weight distribution as I step back and he continues to drive forward I will find myself fighting for stability because it will be easy for him to drive my weight to my heels and knock me back.

If you are a bigger guy with more mass, you can get away with it. I am only 5'9" 175 pounds. I need to use all my mass at all times and a neutral bow in combat won't work well for me. I am not saying it's impossible, but I am not one to gamble.

Craig Tavis asked for me to tape another snapping twig video without going super fast. So, I slowed it down and emphasized a couple other things on this round.

Michael Miller, CKF

Mike M,

With your current concept on engaging the mass, if you encounter the catalyst to snapping twig, are you currently going with ST as an answer, or are you now responding with something else? Are you now answering that catalyst with movement towards 12, or on a 5-11 line (or 4-10)type line?

From fortified engagement are you only going forward, or do you sometimes go 12-6 (back)?

A lot of what I do for my personal Kenpo is based off of Mr. Pick's concepts. Please understand that I am not a part of the UKF, nor am I a direct student under Mr. Pick in that lineage. I study under Mr. Pick, however, and that is the direction that CKF black belts have taken under the guidance of Mr. Kelley. I teach the Parker system through the lineage of Mr. Kelley, but my personal arsenal is that of a combative side through Mr. Kelley and Mr. Pick.

With that being said, I am in no position to discuss Mr. Pick's ways of doing things as I am no authority and will not go there. What I do is based on my lessons with Mr. Pick and I most certainly use the laws of physics in my actions as Mr. Pick teaches.

"With your current concept on engaging the mass, if you encounter the catalyst to snapping twig, are you currently going with ST as an answer, or are you now responding with something else?"

First of all it isn't "My" concept, but I know what you meant. It is based on the laws of physics. Inertia comes first, then rotation, then gravity. I am not sure I understand your question. Please keep in mind that the way I did the technique in the video is not the way Mr. Pick teaches it. I will never show a video of the way Mr. Pick teaches anything. I am smarter than that, LOL. I don't want tuned up by him, trust me. To answer you question in a way I am interpreting it, the ideal phase is totally different than reality. Therefore, are you asking in the "Ideal" realm or the "Reality based" realm? In reality, you don't know what technique you are going to do. You will do bits and pieces of all techniques in a real life situation. You will not focus on doing snapping twig on the streets. You act and dominate--if you do snapping twig, fine.

"Are you now answering that catalyst with movement towards 12, or on a 5-11 line (or 4-10)type line?"

Engaging the mass means you have to distribute your mass according to its natural anatomical alignment. Again, depends on the situation, but if you are driving through him you go straight at him and put him where you want him.

"From fortified engagement are you only going forward, or do you sometimes go 12-6 (back)?"

I really can't answer this as I am not an authority in that department, but my guess is that you can go back. If I remember correctly, fortified engagement is an omni-directional position, which is why Mr. Pick created it. With that being said, you can go in any direction from there. I just know that forward is the dominant direction to drive through the enemy.

"TYVM for posting the vids, lookin good."

You are welcome. Just trying to have a little fun. Nothing big. When you say, "lookin good," does that mean that I look like a studmuffin?